New Delhi: Imagine walking through a far-flung island of forest and stumbling across a bright, pink lake. Or quietly rowing your boat through a sea of floating lotus flowers that expand as far as the eye can see.
It is possible if you consider a visit to any of the world's strangest lakes because lakes are mostly contained ecosystems, they have the uncanny ability to evolve in ways you might expect to come from the imagination.
There are more than 3 million or so lakes worldwide, so it takes quite an astounding trick to stand out. From those, the one that caught the attention recently, is ‘Lake NongHarn’, of Thailand.
Lotuses of pink and red hues are in full bloom in the lakeNongHarn of Thailand as part of an annual phenomenon.Every winter this freshwater lake in north-eastern Thailand turns pink with blooming Red Lotus flowers.
The yearly sprouting of thousands upon thousands of red lotus flowers completely transforms the surface of Lake NongHarn into an 8,000-acre vision of buoyant blossoms. This aquatic garden begins to grow in October, just after the rainy season.When it reaches full bloom in December, nearby villagers, who trace the origins of the lake to a tragic love myth, take to boats to enjoy the miraculous scenery.
The sea of red lotuses—TalayBuaDaeng, as the locals say—is best viewed during daylight hours before noon, when the flowers are fully opened, revealing their vibrant, pink colour (not red, despite the name).
But if the day is cloudy, a visit at any time should provide the best display as the blooms remain open when the sun is not bearing down on them.
The Red Lotus Sea (although most of the flowers are more pink or crimson than they are red)which is 350 miles north of Bangkok, and is about 45km south east from the UdonThani ring road, at Lake Nong Han on the banks of Ban Diam, in the Kumphawadpi Reserve.
This year’s aquatic flowers have just begun to conjure a vibrant pink carpet on the lake, which is 15km long and 5km wide, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
“Tourists can hire a boat to see the red lotuses up close and enjoy the natural scenery of the fresh water resource filled with a variety of fish, birds, wildlife and aquatic plants,”a spokesperson said.
Other than the vast numbers of flowers present, the Red Lotus Sea also holds the position of the world’s second strangest lakes by Travel & Leisure. The lake covers a large area, (about 68 square kilometres) being 15km long and 5km at the widest point.
In addition, the region also boasts the archaeological wonders of the UNESCO-protected Ban Chiang, where the world’s first Bronze Age civilisation is believed to have flourished more than 5,000 years ago.
Fans of colourful landscapes should consider, too, a trip to Lake Natron, Tanzania, where the salt and soda combine to create a blaze of cracked magenta. The water is, however, deadly and calcifies any animals that have the misfortune to dip their toe in its fiery shores.
Other than Lake NongHarnof Thaiuland, the lists of Weirdest/Strangest Lakes in the World also include these:
Boiling Lake, Dominica
Water at the centre of this 200-foot-wide lake let stays in a constant rolling boil so hot that no one has been able to take an accurate measurement. But consider that at the shore, this lake already measures between 180 and 197 degrees. Scientists believe the vapour-covered cauldron is really flooded fumaroles, or a vent that leads directly down to volcanic magma. It's not the largest heated lake in the world—that title belongs to the magnificent, comparatively temperate Rotorua lakes in New Zealand—but Boiling Lake is certainly the most forbidding.
Lake Manicouagan, Canada
Problem: You can't decide if you want to visit a lake or a river. Solution: Lake Manicouagan, in Quebec. Plenty of lakes are round in shape, but this is the only known lake that has been cast into the form of a ring. It was created 200 million years ago when a 3.1-mile-diameter asteroid—the fifth largest ever—crashed into the earth and left behind what appears to be the world's only concentric river.
At 1,206 square miles, roughly half the size of Delaware, it's one of the few lakes whose primary island takes up more surface area than actual water, giving you the best of both a lake and a river.
Jellyfish Lake, Palau
By the ocean, jellyfish are a nuisance to swimmers, but taking a dip with them in Palau's Jellyfish Lake is an unexpected pleasure. These golden jellyfish are glowing orbs of pink and purple that range in size from a penny to a soccer ball and were cut off from their natural predators millennia ago. With no need to defend themselves, they evolved without the ability to sting—the only such known species of jellyfish. These blissful creatures do nothing more than soak up the sunlight (their main source of nutrition)—oh, and entertain the humans, who have taken to snorkeling in their midst.
Lake Hillier, Australia
The source of the entire world's strawberry milkshakes is just a lake filled with perfectly pink water. It's no trick of light either; the 2,000-foot-long lake stays rosy whether day or night and keeps its hue even if taken away in a bottle. Scientists are baffled by the exact cause, although they have narrowed it down to a few microorganisms and bacteria that live in the lake's salty deposits. Lake Hillier is located on the Recherché Archipelago in Western Australia, and, as if to drive the point home, only a narrow stretch of eucalyptus-tree-covered coastline separates the bubblegum lake from the sapphire blue Southern Ocean.
Lake Natron, Tanzania
Lake Natron adds new meaning to the idea of preserving wildlife; it literally turns animals into stone. Perfectly petrified bats and birds (even doves) have been found washed ashore, as if they've suffered the cursed fate of looking into the eyes of the Greek Gorgon Medusa. The forbidding lake, whose temperatures can reach 140 degrees, developed its rare calcifying powers from toxic ash emitted by surrounding volcanoes. No one is sure exactly how the animals die, but it is thought that the lake's tremendously reflective surface tricks birds into taking a dive...from which they never recover.
Lake Nyos, Cameroon
In 1986, Lake Nyos caused one of the largest unusual natural disasters in recorded history when it literally blew up without warning. It sent a torrent of water 300 feet into the air, followed by a small tsunami to the lake's shores. Then came a burst of carbon dioxide at 60 miles an hour, creating a roving toxic cloud that suffocated 1,746 people in three days, before dispersing. Scary, but the lake is now safe to see. A build-up of carbon dioxide at the lake's bottom set off the explosion; French and American scientists have since introduced a system of piping to artificially remove the gas.
Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan
The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than almost any other sea on earth (35 percent compared to 3.5 percent). And because one part in three is salt, you can float on its surface. Its salinity is said to have healing powers for skin and joints, and at 1,486 feet below sea level, it is the lowest place on earth. But did you trivia buffs also know that the Dead Sea is neither a sea nor dead? It is a lake sandwiched between Israel and Jordan, and since the 1930s experts have known that salt-friendly microbes call this place home. For eons it was believed that the lake's only source was the River Jordan, but in 2011, researchers discovered that it is also fed by freshwater springs on the floor.
For most travellers, of course, a lake vacation brings to mind more soothing, nostalgia-laden images.So by all means, go visit any number of the beautiful and strangest lakes worldwide.